chromatics

Chromatics is a term that appears in multiple disciplines and as a proper noun. In color theory and vision, chromatics concerns the color aspects of light independent of luminance. In music, it refers to the use of pitches outside the traditional diatonic scale. It is also the name of an American electronic music band.

In color science, chromatics describes the color component of light independent of its luminance. It is analyzed using chromaticity coordinates, such as the CIE 1931 x,y diagram, which map hue and saturation but not brightness. Color scientists distinguish chromatic information from luminance, and devices and standards rely on chromaticity to reproduce colors accurately. Terms like chromatic adaptation refer to how illumination changes perceived color.

In music, chromatics describes the inclusion of pitches outside the traditional diatonic scale. The chromatic scale consists of twelve semitones within an octave. Chromaticism is a broader practice that uses chromatic intervals and chromatic chords, often to intensify harmony or lead-tone motion. The concept has been central in late-Romantic and 20th-century music and appears in various forms across genres, including jazz and popular music.

Chromatics is an American electronic music group associated with the Italians Do It Better label. Formed in the 2000s in Portland, Oregon, the band has used atmospheric synths and moody textures and released Night Drive (2011) and Kill for Love (2012).

See also: chromaticity, chromatic scale, chromatic aberration.